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Lance-tipped Darner

Aeshna constricta

The Lance-tipped darner is found throughout Minnesota. Because of its size, color, and the general shape of its thoracic stripes It can easily be confused with a number of other darner species. The Lance-tipped Darner and Shadow Darner are the only Minnesota darners with a spike on their claspers

Identification

Field Marks
  • Average adult size is approximately 2.8 inches
  • Eyes green over blue
  • Pale yellow-green face with no crossline
  • Front thoracic stripe notched with a rearward flag extending from the top
  • Rear thoracic stripe is very wide at the top, with a rearward flag extending down to the edge of the abdomen
  • Legs black with brown on the femur
  • Abdomen brown with blue top spots and pale blue side spots
  • Wedge style claspers with a spike extending down from the cerci

Click on photos above for a close-up view.
Field Marks
  • Females come in blue, green, and yellow forms
  • Yellow form may have a lot of yellow in wings
  • Abdomen section 9 larger than section 8 because of large ovipositor
  • Cerci are lance shaped and as long as section 9 and 10 combined
  • Large square shaped top spot on segment 9, larger than those on segment 8

Click on photos above for a close-up view.

Similar Species

  • Shadow Darner
  • The male Shadow Darner and Lance-tipped Darner both have spikes at the end of their cerci
  • Shadow Darners are typically found in dark shadowed habitats where Lance-tipped Darners prefer the sun
  • Green-striped Darner
  • The rear thoracic stripe of the Green-striped Darner has no rear extension at the top, the Lance-tipped Darner does
  • The male Green-striped Darner does not have a spike at the end of its cerci
  • Canada Darner
  • The rear thoracic stripe of the Canada Darner has no rear extension at the top, the Lance-tipped Darner does
  • The male Canada Darner does not have a spike at the end of its cerci
  • Click on the photo to see side by side comparisons
  • Click on the photo to see side by side comparisons
  • Click on the photo to see side by side comparisons

Natural History

Behavior

Like most Darners the Lance-tipped Darner is a strong active flier. Typically males patrol the shoreline flying until dawn when they often join mixed species feeding swarms. Females look much like males and can also often be seen flying over the water. When at rest Lance-tipped Darners prefer to perch in tall grass in comparison to other darners that prefer tree trunks.

Habitat

Marshy ponds, small lakes with marshy shorelines, and bog pools

Reproduction

Copulation typically occurs in low vegetation near the water. The females oviposits eggs one at a time in the stems of aquatic vegetation such as cattails and sweet flag. Eggs are often laid as high as three feet above the water at breeding ponds that dry up many years.

Range Maps

Click on the icons above for this species' range maps

Click here for county and state checklists from Odonata Central.

Range maps and checklists courtesy of Odonata Central. Copyright © 2016 OdonataCentral. All Rights Reserved. Abbott, J.C. 2006-2018. OdonataCentral: An online resource for the distribution and identification of Odonata. Available at www.odonatacentral.org.

© JEFFREY FISCHER 2016. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.